Why We Fight

Hermione awoke to the sun's pale light streaming through the window. She realized that it was just after dawn and yawned. Between her studies and the constant threat of untimely death at the wand of Voldemort or a Death Eater, Hermione had found that she didn't need much sleep to function well. Now that one of her distractions (Voldemort currently wasn't around and trying to kill her and her friends) had been eliminated, she had more time to work on other things. Like the Marauder's Map.

She had always been interested in the magic of the Marauder's Map, hoping that it would come in handy in her chosen career path of Aurorcy. After much convincing by Ron and Harry, she had decided that she met all the criteria of a successful Auror and the map would come in handy. Since she had first learned about the Marauder's Map, she had been insanely curious about it. What made it work? Had the Marauders explored every single nook and cranny of Hogwarts? Or had they used a complex location spell? If it was the latter, then one could create a highly-detailed map of a place they'd never been before...possibly even listing objects as well as people.

Now, Hermione had a lot of free time. That happens when someone's not out to kill you or your friends every minute of every day, she mused wisely. The past three years had been so incredibly hectic -- she'd been nearly killed numerous times, created S.P.E.W., dated an internationally famous Seeker, been held hostage by merpeople, joined Dumbledore's Army (or rather formed Dumbledore's Army), and raided Britain's Ministry of Magic. Between that, studying for school, the O.W.L.s, and the upcoming N.E.W.T.s, Hermione had absolutely no time to find out the map's secrets.

Hermione pulled the map from her satchel, a picture dropping out. The brunette carefully picked up the moving photograph of a smiling Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Percy, Bill, Charlie, and Mr. Weasley. It had been taken at the World Quidditch Cup before things had changed so much. Before Cedric had died, before Sirius had died, before Voldemort had risen again. Hermione swallowed past the emotional constriction in her throat.

To take her mind off her thoughts of the death and destruction that would occur in the future, she got dressed, grabbed her satchel, and left the Head Girl's room for the common room. The brunette pulled her hair into a ponytail and set out her ink pot and parchment. She immediately began working on her homework that wasn't due for another week. She had already finished the work she'd been assigned from the rest of her classes and had been putting off Flaherty's parchment on the mystical properties of bloodroot, which was a strengthening agent in vengeance and healing potions. She lost track of time as she completed two more feet of parchment than had been required.

A loud yawn pulled Hermione from her work. Hermione turned to see James standing in his Gryffindor red pajamas, his hair even more mussed than usual from sleep. "You're up early, Hermione," James murmured. "It's Sunday after all."

"Sunday? But we had classes yesterday," Hermione frowned.

James nodded. "Yes," he stated. "The first week of school was so short that Professor Dumbledore thought we should work on Saturday to make up for it."

"Oh," Hermione said. Hermione was definitely having trouble with the time travel thing. "Well, I got Professor Flaherty's report done." She cast a quick drying spell on the parchment and carefully rolled it up. She stretched out. "And anyway, I've been an early riser since my first year."

James smiled at her. "And I thought I was an early riser, it's only eight..." he stated and Hermione smirked. "I guess Lily's still sleeping. Bet it's the only time she sleeps with all the homework she does."

"You like her, don't you?" Hermione asked.

James got a sappy puppy-dog look on his handsome face. "I do," he answered. "She hates me though."

"She doesn't hate you," Hermione insisted. James arched a brow. "She doesn't get along with you...but she doesn't hate you. I promise. Maybe you should try to be nice to her...you know, ask her to Hogsmeade or something." She shrugged.

James frowned, remembering his previous experiences of asking the redhead to Hogsmeade. "She'd never go with me to Hogsmeade, I've asked before," he stated.

"I could help you out a little. You know, spy or something..." she trailed off.

"Slytherins are good at that kind of thing," he stated. "Er...well, you have to have some kind of Slytherin trait. You seem far too nice to be a Slytherin."

Hermione frowned. "I'm not a Slytherin, you know. I'm still Hermione, nothing's changed because I got Sorted into that stupid House," she said.

"What's in a House? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," he stated.

Hermione's eyes widened with glee. "You know Shakespeare?" she asked. "But he's a Muggle!"

James sighed and shook his head. "Why does everyone think that just because he wrote plays for Muggles that he was a Muggle? He went to Hogwarts during his so-called 'lost years,' he was a Ravenclaw," he stated. With a wink, he added, "Everyone knows that Romeo and Juliet was about a romance between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin."

A sudden realization dawned on Hermione. "'Two Houses, both a like in dignity...'" she murmured. "I just...assumed."

James smirked. "Actually, it's 'two households, both alike in dignity.' And you know what they say about assuming, it makes an ass out of--" he started and Hermione smacked his arm playfully. "You're a violent woman, Hermione de Lioncourt." James made a show of rubbing his arm and Hermione chuckled. "She jests at scars that never felt the wound."

"You are something else, James Potter," she said. Her light mood took on a serious edge. "You really do remind me of Harry. The two of you would have been best friends."

"Did you have a lot of friends at Agnitio?" he inquired curiously. Hermione took a seat on the crimson velvet settee and James joined her.

There was a long pause. "I had a fair amount of acquaintances, but my best friends were Harry and Ron. We were inseparable since they saved me from a mountain troll in first year."

"Blimey, a mountain troll?" he asked and Hermione nodded. "In first year? And they survived?"

Hermione nodded on both accounts. "Harry stuck his wand up the troll's nose and Ron used Wingardium Leviosa on the troll's club. The troll was knocked out," she said. James was obviously impressed.

"Do you help your friends on your grand adventures?" James asked and Hermione nodded. "You should join the Dueling Club." His eyes sparkled and Hermione realized that they were hazel, not blue as she had previously thought. "It's the only way you can get away with jinxing other people in front of the teachers. It's mostly Slytherins and Gryffindors...so you get a chance to jinx Slytherins..." he trailed off as Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Er...right...Slytherin. No offense to your House."

"None taken," Hermione stated. "When does it meet?"

James looked at the clock. "In about three hours," he stated. "In the dueling room, I'll take you there."

Hermione smiled. "Sounds like an idea," she stated. Her stomach growled angrily and Hermione realized that she hadn't eaten since supper. "Wanna go get breakfast?"

"I'm meeting Sirius, Remus, and Peter in the Great Hall in about ten minutes, you sure you can stand those prats long enough?" James teased and Hermione grinned at him.

"I'm sure I can manage," Hermione stated with a hint of a grin.

James grinned in return and the two made it through the halls of Hogwarts, chatting about nothing much in particular. When they entered the Great Hall, they found Sirius, Remus, and Peter talking animatedly. "Who's going next?" Peter asked.

"I am," Sirius stated. "Aquilus won't stand a chance when I give him his third mission, so don't worry, Remus."

Hermione frowned and gave James a confused look. James coughed loudly and the three others immediately stopped talking. "Hello, Hermione," Sirius said. "You're going to sit with us today?"

Hermione smiled and took the empty seat by Sirius across from Remus while James took the empty seat on Sirius's other side. Whispers ricocheted through the Great Hall at Hermione's action. It was a well-known fact throughout Hogwarts that on weekends, the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs would mingle with one another, sitting at each other's tables. Slytherins always stuck to their table. In two days, Hermione Granger had broken three of the unwritten laws that the Slytherins adhered to since the days of Salazar Slytherin himself. She was a Muggle-born (of course, she didn't think anyone realized that), she was "dating" a Gryffindor, and now she was sitting at the Gryffindor table. With the Marauders, well-known Slytherin-haters.

There was a long pause, full of awkward silence. Hermione frowned. "If you'd like me to go, I will...sorry to intrude," she stammered, moving to leave the table.

"No," Sirius said, placing a hand on her forearm to still her.

You know, Sirius is rather handsome... the traitorous voice in her head that had her thinking about naked Lucius and Draco started up. The hormonal part of her brain quieted when it seemed to realize that when Hermione had known Sirius before, Sirius Black would be a shadow of his former self, haunted by his time in Azkaban. Then he would be dead, Hermione felt guilty about this.

She had known that Sirius was reckless and she hadn't been very nice to him in the time she'd known him. She'd berated him about Kreacher, only for the house-elf to turn against his master and join with the woman that had tortured Neville's parents to insanity. Her blush faded and was replaced by a thoughtful frown as she extricated her arm from Sirius's.

It was like her blood had turned to ice water as she looked at the four Marauders gathered here. They were all chipper and untroubled by the future. The future that would leave both Sirius and James dead, and Peter a traitor. She swallowed hard and tried to speak but her voice failed her. She took a sip of orange juice and tried again. "So...why were you talking about Draco?" she asked. The Marauders didn't get to answer because at that moment a blonde sat at their table beside Peter.

"Narcissa, what are you doing at our table?" Sirius growled.

"Can't a girl spend some time with her favorite cousin?" Narcissa chirped.

"Not really, considering the fact that I've been disowned and you're the perfect little pureblood, off to marry Malfoy," Sirius stated in a condescending tone.

Narcissa ignored Sirius's comment and her blue eyes immediately left her cousin to examine Hermione. "I hear you're dating a Gryffindor." She grinned. "I can't blame you, that Aquilus boy is awfully handsome. Hell, I'd date him."

Hermione's mind left the fact that Narcissa Black had Farrah hair and looked like she'd just stepped off the disco floor when she realized that Draco's mother had just commented about dating her son. "You'd date Draco?" Hermione repeated numbly.

Narcissa smiled. "He's cute," she said, her nose wrinkling as she grinned. Hermione suppressed a shudder. Well...I knew purebloods had a tendency toward incest...but this is downright...disgusting, Hermione mused.

"Draco's not your type, believe me," Hermione stated.

Narcissa's eyes lit with challenge. "I wouldn't bet on that," Narcissa scoffed, leaving the table. She wants to date Draco? And Draco's father wants to date Draco... she thought. Draco's going to be even more mentally unstable when we get home.